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SPECIAL

Ford Territory

SPECIAL

Ford Territory

Kartstars Winner Gets Seat in 2002 Formula Ford

Staff, Monday December 17, 2001.

Page 1 of 1

Winterbottom and four others, Matthew Wall, Chris Cox, William Yarwood and Bryce Godfrey were in line for three major prizes.

Apart from the full time drive in all eight rounds of the Formula Ford series aboard a fully prepared Spectrum prepared by Borland Racing Developments; there was also a Formula Ford drive in the Victorian State Series drive and a racing drivers course in the UK.

To help in the decision making process high profiled sports psychologist, Noel Blundell of the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS), who had worked with the likes of the Essendon Football Club and golfer Robert Allenby, was brought in to offer assistance.

The decision took into account their performances during and the results of the KartStars series, evaluations through the VIS and a test day aboard Formula Ford cars at Winton.

?This was a tough call and my impression was they are all great, find the budget to run them all,? said Blundell.

?But there certainly was three guys who can make their mark on the sport and that?s Winterbottom, Wall and Cox.

?Motor sport is a tough business on and off the track - but these guys have a real chance thanks to what they are going to be provided with.

Wall will have a full season in the Victorian Series aboard a Spectrum, while Cox will travel to the UK for the racing driver?s course.

?I have set myself high expectations in motor sport and thanks to this opportunity through Ford Racing Australia I can give myself a real chance of achieving those goals,? said Winterbottom.

?The whole KartStars experience has provided me with the right tools on and off the track, I now have a much better understanding of what?s needed to go to the top in this sport.

?Through this year myself and the other competitors in the KartStars got to meet and discuss racing with Ford?s V8 Supercar drivers and that really inspired me further.

?Formula Ford is a great stepping stone up the racing ladder, especially when you look at the likes of Craig Lowndes, Marcos Ambrose, David Besnard and Steve Ellery who all graduated through karting and Formula Ford to V8 Supercars today?.

Winterbottom won?t go into the national Formula Ford series cold, having contested the Victorian Series thanks to Ford Racing Australia after last year?s karting series.

He?s already proved his potential with a fifth place in treacherous conditions at the final round of this year?s national Formula Ford series at Sandown.

Ford Racing Australia's involvement in KartStars is aimed solely at identifying talented Australian drivers and providing them with a clear and direct path, regardless of their ability to raise the significant sums of money required to compete at the top levels.

All competitors run the same Drew Price Engineering (DPE) chassis type and the Rotax Max FR125 (cc) engines are dyno tested and then sealed, to ensure they are equal.

A control Bridgestone YGK tyre is used specifically for this Formula, and is the same tyre that was used at the World Max Challenge final and during the Ford series in 2000.

Interest in the 2002 Ford KartStars series has been unprecedented with over 20 entries expected to take part in the entire five-round series around the country.

Final dates will be confirmed in the New Year, but it?s expected that the final round will be run as twilight meeting in conjunction with the Queensland 500 V8 event at Willowbank on September 13-14.

For further information contact:
Ben Beazley
Media Coordinator
Ford Racing
Phone: (03) 9533 4455
Mobile: 0417-262 753
Email: ben@segalmedia.com.au

Adam Klunyk
Special Project Coordinator
Drew Price Engineering
Phone: (03) 9545 3944
Email: adamk@dpeng.com.au

Previous Article: Car Ergonomics Provide the Human Touch
Next Article: News Watch Issue 10, Thursday, December 20, 2001